Tomato Sauce With Capers and Vinegar

By Martha Rose Shulman

Tomato Sauce With Capers and Vinegar
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 30 minutes
Rating
5(202)
Comments
Read comments

There are so many ways to enjoy this sauce. You can serve it with pasta or grains, over vegetables (try it with cauliflower) or on a bruschetta. I recently tried it with Israeli couscous, sautéed in olive oil then simmered in stock and topped with this sauce.

Featured in: Summer Vegetable Sauces

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Ingredients

Yield:About 1¼ cups, serving four to six

    For the Pungent Tomato Sauce With Capers and Vinegar

    • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • ½medium onion, finely chopped
    • 1large garlic clove, minced
    • 1pound fresh tomatoes, grated, or 1 can chopped tomatoes
    • 1basil sprig
    • 1tablespoon capers, rinsed and finely chopped
    • Salt
    • freshly ground pepper to taste
    • 1tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar (more to taste)
    • 1 to 2tablespoons minced parsley or slivered basil (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

60 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 222 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. For the Pungent Tomato Sauce With Capers and Vinegar

    1. Step 1

      Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium heavy saucepan. Add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about five minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, basil sprig, capers, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stir and reduce the heat. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes until cooked down and very fragrant. Remove the basil sprig. Stir in the vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the optional parsley or basil. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: You can keep this sauce for about a week in the refrigerator. It freezes well.

Ratings

5 out of 5
202 user ratings
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Comments

Randy

A 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes would be equivalent to the yield of one pound of fresh tomatoes grated. Use "diced" tomatoes for a chunky texture, use "crushed" tomatoes for a smoother sauce.
If you prefer a sweeter sauce use balsamic vinegar.

Clive

Pungent sounds so off-putting. I love this; it's nice and bright and fragrant. Call it Tangy.

SonomaSMB

This is a great, simple sauce if you love tangy. I like it cooked longer, but if you're in a rush not necessary. I've used it on chicken, turkey meatloaf and even fish, as well as pasta. Double the recipe and keep one stashed in the freezer.

Trude the Obscure

Thought I was making Tomato Sauce but turned out to be dynamite Gazpacho chilled. Made it with 8 lbs of fresh but watery, bland tomatoes. Multiplied all ingredients accordingly and substituted fresh rosemary for basil (what I had). Picked up taste with some crushed anchovies, healthy dose of TJ's Bomba Red Pepper Sauce (fermented Calabrian peppers), some pomegranate molasses and a fresh medium hot pepper in with onions and garlic. Did the minced parsley and combined sherry and red wine vinegars.

Joanne

!Excellent side dish! Increaded to two garliccloves two tbsp capers, and two tbsp balsamic vinegar. I will make it again.

Julia

Split the recipe in half and added a pinch of sumac and lemon zest in the last minute or two of simmering. It was delicious!

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